Potential to Be the Best Total War Yet

[Quickening]

Even though I've enjoyed this game since the time of its release, it was obviously presented to us in an inexcusable state. There's just no doubt about that. But I have to say that the more I play, the more I think this could be the best Total War yet. Especially after today's patch (the beta, anyway).

I love everything they've done with the campaign map. Limiting the number of armies you can have and having their existence be conditional on the presence of a general has really done a lot to clear up the mess of armies that the campaign map in previous Total Wars could become. Now I know and care about all the armies I have, especially with the ability to rename them. In my current game, for example, I've got a famous army named after a band of gladiators who gave their lives in a desperate last stand situation. Personal touches like that just make me care more. I've also noticed that the model that represents your army on the campaign map depends on the general. I never noticed this before today, so maybe it was only added with the latest patch. Either way, it's a cool touch.
Of course the campaign map is a world away from the horrifically simplified map of Rome 1 with its three Roman factions, different barbarian tribes crammed into inappropriately named nations, and so on. Feels like they've really taken a leaf out of the Europa Universalis book on that one. The diplomacy too is excellent now.
I also really love the way that troops come with their own ships now. Since the days of Warcraft 2, there's just something about naval combat that games can't seem to get right. They never, ever seem fun. It might just be my own personal tastes, but in my opinion the less focus on naval warfare the better. Building boats to transport armies in past Total War games just felt like a chore.
My most major complaint about the campaign map at the moment is that factions which should by rights become power houses seem to fall quickly in the hands of the AI. I know the point of the series is to change history, but it seems that factions like Egypt and Carthage never last long in my games. But this is a simple matter of balancing which I hope will be corrected.
What does make me laugh is people saying that this game is dumbed down and that they're going back to play Rome 1. Huh?! There is no Total War game more dumbed down than Rome 1. This game is Crusader Kings 2 compared to Rome 1. I have to wonder if these people have played that game in the last decade.
I guess the music could be better. I mean it's not bad, but there's no "War of Kings" level of tune that I've heard so far.

As for the battles, well, yeah things aren't as improved here. The flags are really awful. As others have said, it's fine in siege battles, but some times they appear in standard pitched battles with no apparent rhyme or reason. Earlier today I lost a battle after breaking the entirety of my enemy's army because I didn't recapture my flag in time. It boggles the mind to imagine an army surrendering after causing their enemy to route because they weren't holding a certain position.
I also despise the flaming javelins and the sheer amount of ammunition that certain units have. On the other hand, I hated the speed of the units too, and Creative Assembly actually did something about it. This is the first time since Medieval 1 that I remember them changing something so fundamental in a patch. This is why I really think, provided CA continue in this fashion, that Rome 2 will easily be the best of the Total War games. I'm just loving it. And I say that as someone who once hated CA so much I vowed never to buy another game from them.

Anyone else have high hopes or just generally like the game?

[Kadoken]

I think that it's going to take an expansion to bring the game to the full potential. Fall of the Empire, with Christianity, visigoths, goths, and a whole bunch of other mess cropping up would be sweet.

[Quickening]

I think that it's going to take an expansion to bring the game to the full potential. Fall of the Empire, with Christianity, visigoths, goths, and a whole bunch of other mess cropping up would be sweet.

You have a screenshot from Highlander as your avatar. I have a lot of time for you.

But yes, I am curious as to where they'll take the expansions. I really wasn't a fan of Barbarian Invasion. Considering the epic scale of Rome 2, I think a Kingdoms type, more focussed expansion would be ideal.

[Kadoken]

You have a screenshot from Highlander as your avatar. I have a lot of time for you.

But yes, I am curious as to where they'll take the expansions. I really wasn't a fan of Barbarian Invasion. Considering the epic scale of Rome 2, I think a Kingdoms type, more focussed expansion would be ideal.

I am Connor McCleod of the Clan McCleod.

Hmm, I wonder if I could mod in a one man super unit like Methos from the series or the guy from the anime (I think he was in Roman times)

Back on topic for me, I think we can have both. If we follow the Kingdoms model, we could have something like: Caesar's Conquest of Gaul, The Conquest of Britain and Later Governing by Agricola (Or even better, a dark ages expansion like the Brytenwalda mod where everything still feels roman but is mixed in with other influences), Peloponesian Wars, and maybe a Caesar vs Pompey Roman Civil War with a more indepth Italy.

Then maybe a Fall of the Empire campaign mod, because that time interests me a lot.

[VektorT]

Yeah... I dont want a expasion who adds a new time frame or scenery. One that improve the current one adding more things into the game would be better.

[jimlawl]

I hope they have at least 2 expansions like Napoleon for Empire and FotS/RotS for Shogun 2, whether it's one or two I'm betting one of them is gonna be based on the fall of the Roman Empire.

[Jackal2233]

As Angry Joe mentioned which I agree with; there's something underneath all this BS

The concepts are there, just the execution was horrid on release

[Korburss]

Personally, the scale is really starting to get to me. My troops are tiny ants that die in seconds. It's pretty hard to care about them even after naming and theming each one with different troops, when they will always be ants that die in seconds. Not to mention, even in a overwhelming defeat, it's unlikely that any units will be wiped out. I outright had more fun naming and picking troops than fighting with them.

Of course. Their's a chance that, somewhere down the line, there'll be mods to make combat on par with past games but ultimately the scale will be impossible to fix without resizing maps.

[kerrfox]

Personally I think there's a lot to like in this game. It was released unfinished; graphics were poor for some of us (that is fixed now for my machine); the CAI and BAI did strange things, however this is much improved. Any one of us would prefer this or that feature one way or another (some would like unlimited armies/units, others of us want limits, etc.) however Rome II changed so many features that there are many more people who claim their life is ruined (or so it seems anyway) due to some feature that is not to their liking. I happen to think most of these changes are well thought out and are quite brilliant. This game still needs a bit of polish, but it is quite a fantastic rendition of the period IMHO. I think it's a masterpiece. Will a mod (or Assembly Kit) be necessary to remove the nonsense that - for whatever reason - CA has in every TW game (mounted fire arrows anyone?)? Yes. Still, this is my most favorite vanilla game since Medieval 2 Kingdoms.

[Stívarðr Reynitré]

I admit - to begin with I was one of the greatest critics of this mess...But as of the last few patches, this has really shown a potential I thought was impossible.

[Metallistic]

Angry Joe also took notice of the new patch on his twitter.